Don’t Make Them BegConsumers want healthful,tasty treats made withtop-quality ingredientsfor their pets.

BY AUDRE Y PAVIA

Chews and treats are a favorite cate- gory among pet owners who enjoy spoiling their companion animals.
Still, the trends in this category confirm
that consumers care about the quality of
what they feed their pets.

In the past, pet owners were expected to choose between indulgent treats or
training treats, said Ann Hudson, vice
president of marketing for St. Louis-based
Whitebridge Pet Brands’ Cloud Star and
Tiki brands.

“Now, you are seeing growth in treatswith healthy ingredients and purposefulnutrition in mind,” she said. “Sure, indul-gence and rewarding your pet is still amajor player, but now products not onlyserve that purpose, but also benefit theoverall wellness of your pet, or even tar-get more specific pet needs like skin andcoat health or hip and joint health. Theyare truly becoming indulgent supplementsto a healthy pet diet.”Pet owners are looking for sustainable,healthful and locally made treats, said DebSuchman, co-founder of Polkadog Bakeryin Boston.

“Local can mean anything from made
in the USA to terroir, where every ingredient in a product comes organically from
the same region, the same soil and the
same water,” Suchman said.

Reuven Lakein, director of development for TickledPet in Haverstraw, N. Y.,
has also seen a trend in domestically produced products.

“Pet parents want treats that are nat-ural, and nothing from China,” he said. “They are becoming moreeducated and are checking the labels for origin and ingredients.”Pet owners are clearly focused on ingredients in the chews andtreats category, and quality is key.

“Grain-free, all-natural, exotic proteins and superfood treats arecontinuing to gain popularity,” said Jocelyn Rosenthal, owner of BooBoo’s Best in San Francisco. “Responsibly sourced and made in theUSA treats are also an ever-popular trend.”Natural is a strong direction for this category, said Julian Morton,founder of Wild Eats in Wichita, Kan.

“We are seeing more natural chews and treats,” Morton said.
“The quality of ingredients is improving as consumers demand more
health benefits. This mirrors the human snack market.”

Teaching customers about chews and treats is crucial to make the most
of this category, according to retailers.

“We take a lot of pride in knowing our products and educatingconsumers on not only what ingredients are in the treats, but why theyare beneficial,” said Tammy Doak, owner of Bark Avenue Market &Bakery in Colleyville, Texas. “When we bring in a new treat, we ask themanufacturer’s rep for a quick training. This way, we know some of theFull transparency from manufacturers is essential to building trustwith pet owners, said Ann Hudson, vice president of marketing forSt. Louis-based Whitebridge Pet Brands’ Cloud Star and Tiki brands.Consumers can be educated about the benefits of each ingredient in atreat as well as the benefits of the manufacturing process behind a treat.

At Rocco and Jezebel for Pets in Brooklyn, N. Y., owner AndreaDemetropoulos, through education, convinces her customers to feedhigher-quality chews and treats to their pets.

“We absolutely try to educate our customers to change their dogor cat’s core food to something nutritional, and educate them aboutwhich treats are good for their specific pet,” she said. “We first researchproducts, which usually means we try to find independent companiesthat make USA-sourced and antibiotic- and chemical-free [products], getto know the products and always give lots of treats out daily to all dogs.”“While I’d like to say treats sell themselves, an educated staff—likeour Kahooligans—is vital to helping pet owners choose the best treatsand chews for their dog or cat,” she said. “There are as many factors toconsider when choosing your pet’s treats and chews as there are whenchoosing their diet.”